1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device, or instrument, for positioning or the withdrawal of an implant and, in particular, for a suture anchor for attaching soft tissues, such as ligaments or tendons, to bone to repair rotator cuffs and Bankart lesions.
2. Description of the Related Art
Patent EP 0 599 772 discloses a device allowing the positioning of a suture anchor in bone, which device is in the form of a gun. This gun, provided with a grip that can be manually operated, comprises a driving mechanism and a stop that activates the mechanism. The gun comprises a cylinder and a guide that contains a clip or a suture anchor designed to hold a suture thread. The gun ejects the clip, holding the suture thread, from the cylinder in order to anchor in the bone for various surgical interventions.
It must be noted that the removal of the suture anchors provided with deformable fixation means is effected by drilling a hole into the cortical bone; the diameter of such a hole is slightly greater than that of the fixation means. Under such conditions, the surgeon causes considerable damage to the cortical portion of the bone, preventing any possibility to remove or position a suture anchor.
The present invention has the particular aim to remedy these disadvantages.
The ancillary device of the present invention has as an object in particular the positioning or the removal of suture anchors of reversible expansion allowing the deformation of the expansion elements and the fastening of suture threads, or the deformation of the elements for fixation at the time of ligamentous or tendinous reinsertion operations under arthroscopies or on the surface.
The ancillary device for the positioning or the withdrawal of an elastically deformable implant into or from a bone of a patient according to the present invention includes a body onto which is affixed a mobile grip, tractive or activating elements that move a traction rod for the deformation of the implant, and a locking and disengaging device that allows the rod to move or not to move freely in a rotational and translational manner with respect to the body.
The positioning ancillary device according to the present invention also includes control means for the tractive force applied to the rod for the deformation of the implant.
The positioning ancillary device according to the present invention has a body that is provided with a first chamber that houses the tractive means or activating elements and a second chamber that houses the locking and disengaging device.
The tractive or activating means includes two plates between which is compressed a spring, and at least one of these plates interacts with a curved return mechanism actuated by the mobile grip to press the plate against the traction rod to have it return with respect to the body.
The locking and disengaging device is provided with a lever that is susceptible to be blocked by a catch elastically affixed to a fixed grip of the body. A plate is connected to a spring with adjustable tension so that the plate can press against the traction rod under a stress of the lever to pass from a disengaged vertical position to an engaged or locked tilted position.
The control means includes a nose affixed to the body in which is provided, around the rod that displaces freely, a plate affixed to a traction tube in which the rod slides.
The withdrawal ancillary device according to the present invention makes possible the opening of the fixation elements of the suture anchors inside of the spongy bone in order to remove them without having to bore a hole that would damage the surface of the cortical bone.
The withdrawal ancillary device according to the present invention includes a body to which is coupled a mobile grip, compression or activating means moving a compression rod for the deformation of the implant, and a locking or disengaging device that allows to have the compression rod move freely or not in a rotational and translational manner with respect to the body in order to adjust the travel of the rod.
The withdrawal ancillary device according to the present invention also includes anchoring means affixed to the body and rotating around the rod, that are designed to fasten inside of the implant to be removed.
The withdrawal ancillary device according to the invention includes a body provided with a first chamber in which are mounted the compression or activating means and a second chamber in which is housed the locking and disengaging device.